


Practicing the Bow

by Gypsum1110



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Brief Mention of Blood, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-29 19:37:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20087650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gypsum1110/pseuds/Gypsum1110
Summary: From Muriel's newest book. The Apprentice is learning how to use their bow. I know it's very early in Muriel's route but this is what I would imagine a reversed Apprentice would seem like, especially if they and Muriel are spending a ton of time around Morga. It's just a short little thing.





	Practicing the Bow

“You sleep when you hit a damn tree,” Morga’s voice was curt and dismissive, leaving no room for arguments or compromise.  
I formed another arrow, simple in its design but straight, and cocked it. I pulled hard, my arm shaking from the tension. Focusing on keeping it in shape, I release the arrow and it flies through the air. As aerodynamic it is the arrow dissipates three feet in front of me. I form another, it disappears three and a half feet in front of me. Considering that progress, I tread on. It feels like eons before I hit the tree nearest me. The moment my arrow makes contact I am flooded with the feeling of accomplishment, and a second later I’m flooded with the desperation for more. After a few more tries I do it again, my arrow landing firmly in the tree. After less tries I do it again, the sound of the arrow hitting echoes against the surrounding trees and the sound drives me on. I pull back again and again until I feel my arm going numb, and my fingers are bloodied.  
Morga’s voice breaks my concentration, “Excellent work there magician, you have surprised me, to say the least.”  
I release another arrow as she speaks and it misses the tree I was aiming for, instead hitting a tree even further back. “Morga! Hello. How long have I been here?” I suddenly feel the exhaustion come over me, though I can’t bring the muscles in my hand to release the bow.  
“Three and a half hours now.”  
“How long have you been watching me?”  
“Two. Your form still needs work, but it did improve substantially from where you were.” She sees my excitement and before I have the chance to thank her, she explains what that means. “That doesn’t mean you’re good. It means you aren’t as terrible as you were.”  
That sounds dangerously close to a compliment coming from Morga, but I decide not to treat it as such. “I like it. I’m finding it hard to stop.”  
“That is how fighters feel when they find their weapon. It’s how I felt when learning the spear. It’s how Montag felt when learning the sword. It seems you’re suited for fighting.” She looks at me, wearing her version of a smile. “Why did you defend when you could have fought?”  
“I don’t know how to fight with just magic. I know very little hand to hand, and I don’t think that would have faired well against Vulgora.”  
“Fighters always know how to fight,” she scoffs, stabbing her spear into the ground. “You didn’t fight because you were too worried about your companion.”  
“I know Muriel can hold his own,” I try to defend myself further, but she speaks before I have the chance.  
“He can but he won’t. You shouldn’t let him rely on you. You don’t fight, you don’t live. You fight so you will live. He doesn’t fight so he won’t live, at least not long.”  
“I can fight for us both then,” I feel the words leave my mouth before I can process them.  
“You are strong, but no one can be that strong. You cannot fight for one who will not fight for themselves,” with that Morga ended the conversation and turned away.  
I thought of what Morga said, then I stood there and thought some more. Muriel didn’t want to fight and that was his right, and I understand that. Saying that he would die without fighting was a cruel thing to say, a crueler thing to think. Morga wasn’t comforting or understanding or easily convinced of someone’s usefulness. She wasn’t going to coddle or baby either of us, and she especially wasn’t going to let either of us run around untrained after what happened with Vulgora. They would have killed us, and my defenses weren’t enough. Maybe Morga was right.


End file.
